Veronica plant named ‘Very Van Gogh’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of hybrid ornamental spiked speedwell plant  Veronica  ‘Very Van Gogh’ with compact habit with upright habit and stiff, upright, heavily-branched spikes producing radiant rosy purple flowers over a long period and suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower arrangements.

Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Very Van Gogh’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of spiked speedwell, botanically known as Veronica hybrid, and hereinafter also referred to by the cultivar name ‘Very Van Gogh’ or “the new plant”. The new plant selected as an individual seedling originally referenced as breeder code “K8-64-01B” was collected in the summer of 2008 by Kevin A. Hurd in the hybridizing greenhouses of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA, as an uncontrolled open pollination of Veronica hybrid ‘Baby Doll’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,428. ‘Baby Doll’ is a hybrid cross of Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata. The plant has been asexually propagated by basal shoot tip cuttings in the greenhouses at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., with subsequent asexually propagated plants found to be identical to the original selection with all the same traits as the original seedling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Veronica ‘Very Van Gogh’ is unique from all other spiked speedwell known to the inventor. Several other cultivars have blue to purple flowers, but this is the only variety known by the applicant to have the following trait combinations.

Compared to the female parent, ‘Baby Doll’, the new plant is taller, with more branched scapes, and the flower color is less red and more purple pigmented.

The closest comparison varieties known to the inventor are Veronica ‘Eveline’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,888 and Veronica ‘Sweet Lullaby’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,611. The new plant has shorter, smaller foliage and more purple-pigmented flowers than both ‘Eveline’ and ‘Sweet Lullaby’ and is much taller with more branched scapes than ‘Sweet Lullaby’. ‘Very Van Gogh’ is taller than ‘Giles van Hees’ (not patented) and less red and more purple pigmented in flower. The new plant is more rosy purple than ‘Hocus Pocus’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,853 and ‘Red Fox’ (not patented).

Table 1 below shows a more concise comparison of some of the other nearest spike speedwell cultivars:

TABLE 1 VERONICA Comparisons CULTIVAR Plant Height Flower Color ‘Baby Doll’ 38 cm light red purple ‘Eveline’ 50 cm purplish red ‘Giles van Hees’ 20 cm bright pink ‘Hocus Pocus’ 50 cm violet purple ‘Red Fox’ 38 cm fuchsia pink ‘Sweet Lullaby’ 20 cm baby pink ‘Very Van Gogh’ 46 cm rosy purple

The following are traits of Veronica ‘Very Van Gogh’ that in combination distinguish it from all other spiked speedwell known to the inventor:

-   -   1. Tall, well-branched scapes producing continuous heavy flower         show.     -   2. Numerous self-cleaning flowers of distinctly radiant rosy         purple petals in mid-summer.     -   3. Ovate foliage of bright green.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance and unique traits of ‘Very Van Gogh’ as a two-year old plant grown in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer provided as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the scape and flowers.

FIG. 2 shows the plant in the landscape in mid-summer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references of a greenhouse-grown one-year old plant of ‘Very Van Gogh’ are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Veronica ‘Very Van Gogh’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year old plants in the full-sun trial garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid. -   Parentage: Female (seed parent) Veronica ‘Baby Doll’ U.S. Plant Pat.     No. 16,428; male (pollen parent) unknown. -   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, compact, with several     stems, average about 46.0 cm tall in flower and about 58 cm wide;     flowering beginning early July in Michigan and continuing for about     5 weeks with occasional repeat if deadheaded. -   Leaves: Simple, flat, elliptic to ovate, opposite, serrulate,     minutely pubescent below and above; acute apex, cuneate to rounded     base; average about 6.5 cm long by about 2.5 cm wide decreasing in     both length, and width distally.     -   -   Leaf color.—Adaxial nearest RHS 137B; abaxial between RHS             138A and RHS 138B. -   Veins: Reticulate, minutely pubescent below and above; main vein     about 1.0 mm diameter at abaxial base and about 0.5 mm at adaxial     base.     -   -   Vein color.—Adaxial proximal half of center vein and             proximal secondary veins within about 7 mm of main vein             between RHS 145C and RHS 145D with slight tinting of nearest             RHS 186D on main vein, gradually darkening within distal             one-half and toward margin to nearest RHS 137B; abaxial             proximal one-half of center vein and secondary veins nearest             to center vein on abaxial surface nearest RHS 145C,             gradually darkening to between RHS 138A and RHS 138B in the             distal one-half and toward margin. -   Petiole: Simple, concaved upward on adaxial side, rounded on abaxial     side; minutely pubescent above and below; about 0.5 to about 1.0 cm     long and about 1.5 mm wide, distally shorter; average about 0.7 mm     long and about 1.5 mm wide.     -   -   Petiole color.—Adaxial side nearest RHS 137B near margin,             center between RHS 145C and RHS 145D, with slight tinting of             nearest RHS 186D; abaxial side between RHS 138A and RHS 138B             on margins and nearest RHS 145C in center. -   Buds two days prior to opening: Convolute, narrowly oblong, obtuse     apex; about 6.0 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter.     -   -   Bud color.—Nearest RHS N74C one to two days prior to             opening; buds seven to eight days prior to opening nearest             RHS 73B in distal half, lightning lightening to lighter than             RHS 73D in the basal one-half inside of calyx. -   Flowers: Simple, campanulate; on heavily branched upright to spikes;     numerous, congested, approximately 200 per main spike and about 150     flowers per secondary branch; about 4.5 mm across, about 5.0 mm tall     and about 6.0 mm deep; no detectible fragrance; flowers persist     individually for 4 to 6 days whether on the plant or as cut flower;     self-cleaning. -   Petals: Four; margin entire; one larger petal above and three     slightly small below, with rounded apex and fused in basal one-half;     larger petal about 9.0 mm long by about 2.5 mm wide, smaller petals     about 8.5 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide; glabrous outer and inner     surfaces.     -   -   Petal color.—When initially opening adaxial and abaxial             surfaces apex nearest RHS N78B; after two days opened             adaxial and abaxial surfaces nearest RHS 77B; base of petals             in calyx lighter than between RHS 75D and RHS 76D. -   Androecium: Stamens two, exserted.     -   -   Filaments.—Two, fused to lower portion of petal; about 7.0             mm by 0.3 mm; color between RHS 76B and RHS 76C.         -   Anther.—Oblong to elliptic; dorsifixed, longitudinal, with             anther sides bent back around filament in about a 270 degree             angle; each half with acute apex; about 2.3 mm by about 1.0             mm.         -   Anther color.—Variable; younger anthers nearest RHS N77B;             older anthers between RHS N186B and RHS N77A.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, globose, less than 0.1 mm; nearest RHS             158C. -   Gynoecium: Single; simple.     -   -   Style.—Single; straight, extending perpendicular to flower             face; about 7.5 mm long by about 0.25 mm diameter; color             between RHS 77A and RHS 77B; darker distally and lighter at             base; persists after petals drop.         -   Stigma.—Semi-spherical; about 0.5 mm in diameter; color             between RHS 76D and RHS 84D.         -   Ovary.—Spherical; about 1.0 mm in diameter; nearest RHS             144A. -   Sepals: Four; entire, surface dull, ovate to narrowly ovate, acute     apex, base fused forming corolla, sparsely pubescent with minute     glandular hairs, upper pair about 3.0 mm long and about 0.5 mm wide,     lower pair about 4.0 mm long by about 0.5 mm wide, nearest RHS 137A     both surfaces with light tinting of nearest RHS N186C in regions     getting intense direct sunlight. -   Peduncle: About 28 per plant; heavily-branched raceme, strong,     erect, rounded cross section, minutely pubescent; about 46.0 cm long     and about 3.0 mm in diameter at the base, flowering section of the     primary stem about 14.0 long; diameter of flowering portion of     raceme about 2.5 cm; freely branching at nearly every node; about 8     to 9 nodes; internode length about 3.7 cm.     -   -   Peduncle color.—Between RHS 138A and RHS 138B with frequent             tinted regions between RHS 182B and RHS 184B, especially             where exposed to more direct sun. -   Pedicel: Upright, rigid, rounded in cross section; about 1.0 mm long     and 0.5 mm diameter, sparsely pubescent with minute hairs.     -   -   Pedicel color.—Nearest RHS 137A. -   Bract: Single subtending each flower, linear, narrowly acute apex,     entire, sessile, based fused to peduncle, proximal bracts about 1.2     cm long and about 2.0 mm wide and decreasing distally to about 3.0     mm long and less than about 0.5 mm wide.     -   -   Bract color.—RHS 137A above and RHS 137C below. -   Fruit: Emarginate, globose, loculicidal capsule; about 3.0 mm     diameter. -   Seed: Elliptic, about 1.0 mm long; between RHS 166A and RHS 166B. -   Propagation: Stem and tip cuttings root in about 2 weeks and finish     to flowering in a 3.8 liter container in 8 to 10 weeks following a     vernalization period of about 8 weeks. -   Hardiness, pest and disease resistance: The plant grows best with     adequate moisture and drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought     when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. Disease     and pest resistance beyond what is typical of that common to other     spiked speedwell has not been observed. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental spiked speedwell plant, Veronica ‘Very Van Gogh’, as herein described and illustrated, with upright habit and stiff, upright, heavily-branched spikes producing radiant rosy purple flowers over a long period and suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower arrangements. 